Creating a Digital Repository for Nigerian Language Studies: A Case Study from the University of Ilorin

Abstract

This study documents the development of a Digital Reference Repository (DRR) at the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. It addresses the digital marginalisation of African indigenous knowledge systems by digitising approximately 500 academic resources from 2000 to 2019, covering general linguistics and Nigerian languages. The objectives of this study are to conduct a systematic needs assessment of potential users to determine access patterns, resource preferences, and attitudes toward a digital repository; and to establish a functional digital repository using open-source technologies, guided by user needs and infrastructural realities. The research employed a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey of 913 respondents with qualitative feedback from users and implementers.  Omeka and the Dublin Core metadata framework were used to build the repository. Findings reveal overwhelming support for a digital repository, strong preference for digital formats and persistent barriers to accessing linguistic materials. The project shows that a digital repository can be developed in resource-constrained African institutions and contributes to ongoing debates on open access, digital humanities, and decolonising knowledge infrastructure.